Little Old Me
by girlwholived- Haley Potter
Summary: Sky Weasley is the eldest daughter to Molly and Arthur Weasley, twin sister to Ronald Weasley. Sky always thought she was an ordinary witch with an ordinary life but when she starts her first year at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, she finds that she couldn't have been more wrong. "...Why not any of them? There's nothing special about Little Old Me..."
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

 **Hi! This is my first ever fanfiction so I hope you like it!**

 **DISCLAIMER (for the whole story):** **I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER, ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE LOVELY JK ROWLING. I ONLY OWN SKY WEASLEY AND ANY OTHER CHARACTERS/STORY PLOTS THAT YOU DO NOT RECOGNISE FROM THE BOOKS AND FILMS.**

 **Name:** Sky Flora Weasley

 **Date of Birth** : 1st March 1980

 **Appearance:** Shoulder length red hair, hazel eyes, petit for her age

 **Personality:** Shy at first but once you get to know her you realize that she has the heart of a true prankster, just like her brothers, Fred and George, but she doesn't prank often.

SPLOSH!

I shot out of bed, drenched in water to find two red headed twins standing over me in fits of laughter.

"GRED! FEORGE! I AM SO GOING TO GET YOU FOR THIS!" I yelled, waking up Ron in the process.

"What the bloody hell is go-ARGHH!" Ron yelled as he got drenched too and Fred and George ran off laughing.

"Morning Ron," I said as I watched Ron climb out of his wet sheets.

"Morning Sky," he replied before I entered the bathroom, Ron entering once I was done.

We were ready and about to head downstairs when an idea struck me, causing me to grin evilly.

"Ron, wait!"

"What is it, Sky? I'm hungry and I can smell some—" he caught sight of my grin. "What are you planning?" he asked, smiling.

"I just got the perfect idea of how to get back at Fred and George. Wanna help?"

"Well, of course I do," he gave me a look that said 'duh'. "They got me too!"

I smiled at him. "So here's the plan…"

 **My first chapter. I know its short but it's a start. Please review, all comments are welcome, good or bad. I already have the first 21 chapters written so I'll try to publish them as soon as possible. If you don't want to wait, I have this story on wattpad. It's not complete but it has more chapters than this one does. Just go to wattpad and type in the title of the story or type in my username: girlwholived-kitkat and you'll find it on my profile.  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

Mum, Percy, Fred, George, Ron, Ginny and I were sat at the table having breakfast when Dad walked in.

"Look what came in the post." He said and I glanced at the letters in his hand, they had the Hogwarts seal on them.

"Our Hogwarts letters!" I screamed, jumping out of my seat. Dad handed them out and I quickly read mine. It was exactly the same as Ron's apart from the name.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL

of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

 _Dear Miss Weasley,_

 _We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

 _Term begins on September 1. We await your owl no later than July 31._

 _Yours sincerely_

 _Minerva McGonagall_

 _Deputy Headmistress_

The second page said

HOGWARTS SCHOOL

of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

 _UNIFORM_

 _First-year students will require:_

 _1\. Three sets of plain work robes (black)_

 _2\. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear_

 _3\. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)_

 _4\. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)_

 _Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags._

 _COURSE BOOKS_

 _All students should have a copy of each of the following:_

 _The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)_

 _By Miranda Goshawk_

 _A History of Magic_

 _By Bathilda Bagshot_

 _Magical Theory_

 _By Adalbert Waffling_

 _A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration_

 _By Emeric Switch_

 _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_

 _By Phyllida Spore_

 _Magical Drafts and Potions_

 _By Arsenius Jigger_

 _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_

 _By Newt Scamander_

 _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection_

 _By Quentin Trimble_

 _OTHER EQUIPMENT_

 _1 wand_

 _1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)_

 _1 set glass or crystal phials_

 _1 telescope_

 _1 set brass scales_

 _Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad._

 _PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS._

"WE'RE GOING TO HOGWARTS! WE'RE GOING TO HOGWARTS! WE'RE GOING TO HOGWARTS!" I yelled at the top of my voice." RON WE'RE GOING TO HOGWARTS!"

"Settle down now," Mum said as I started jumping around the room. "We'll go to Diagon Alley after breakfast to get your stuff. What have you got there, Percy dear?"

All eyes turned to Percy. He was holding something...bloody hell he's a prefect.

I groan inwardly; we're never going to hear the end of this.

 _Perfect Percy the Prefect_ I thought and I could have sworn I heard a slight chuckle but I brushed it off thinking I was just imagining it.

Percy puffed his chest out. "I've been made a prefect," he said proudly and Mum enveloped him in one of her famous hugs while saying things like, "I'm so proud!" and, "My baby!"

Once Mum had finally let him go she declared that since he was a prefect, they would buy him an owl, meaning that either Ron or I get his rat, Scabbers. I really hope Ron gets him, he really creeps me out.

We sat down again and Percy started saying how the next step was Head Boy then Minister of Magic.

 _Head Boy, Minister of Magic, ha! More like Bighead Boy and Minister of Bigheads._

This time I heard full on laughter and I knew that I hadn't imagined the chuckling. My breathing picked up but nobody noticed, not even Ron who was sitting next to me.

 _H-hello?_

 _ **Hello.**_

The room started spinning.

"Sky, are you okay?" Ron asked me with a look of concern on his face and then everything went black.

 **A/N Can anyone guess who the laughter belongs to? On wattpad, many said Harry Potter and a few said Voldemort.**


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

I woke up on the couch with Ron sitting beside me.

"Sky you're awake!" Ron exclaimed looking immensely relieved.

"What happened?" I asked while getting to my feet.

He frowned. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"Percy was giving a speech on how he would one day be Minister of Magic."

"Right, well, in the middle of his speech you just ... fainted. We were all so worried."

It all started coming back to me.

 _ **Flashback**_

 _We sat down again and Percy started saying how the next step was Head Boy then Minister of Magic._

Head Boy, Minister of Magic, ha! More like Bighead Boy and Minister of Bigheads.

 _This time I heard full on laughter and I knew that I hadn't imagined the chuckling. My breathing picked up but nobody noticed, not even Ron who was sitting next to me._

H-hello?

 **Hello.**

 _The room started spinning. "Sky, are you okay?" Ron asked me with a look of concern on his face and them everything went black._

 _ **End of flashback**_

Oh yeah. That's what happened.

 _Don't be silly Sky. You're making a big deal out of nothing; you MUST have been imagining it. The voice was not real._

 _ **Oh, but I am very real.**_

I swayed and would've fallen if Ron hadn't caught me. "Are you alright?"

"Yes thank you Ron."

"You sure?"

"I'm fine."

"Ok. You know, when you fainted, you knocked the porridge all over Fred, George and Percy; it was brilliant!"

"I did?" I said giggling. "That means we don't have to go through with the plan anymore. I think they've learnt their lesson now."

"Yeah. Anyway, I'm gonna go tell Mum that you're awake. Be right back."

"Kay."

As soon as Ron left, all my attention went to the voice in my head.

 _Who are you?_

 _ **I am Tom Marvolo Riddle.**_


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

 _Who are you?_

 _ **I am Tom Marvolo Riddle.**_

 _H-how are you in my head?!_

 _ **An extremely powerful evil wizard called Voldemort trapped me in my diary. I've been trapped for years with no one to help me find a way out because the diary is missing.**_

 _You're not afraid to say Voldemort?_

 _ **No I am not. I understand why people fear the name it's just that since Voldemort already trapped me in here there's not much more he can do to me. Now, why don't YOU fear the name?**_

 _Well first of all it's stupid to fear a name. If you fear a name it's only going to make you fear the thing itself even more. There's probably a better way of saying - well, thinking – that, but cut me some slack, I'm 11. Second of all why should we fear someone let alone the name of someone who was conquered by a 1-year-old almost 10 years ago and will never return. I hear people say that he was powerful and yet he was defeated by an infant. Doesn't sound very powerful to me._

 _ **LORD VOLDEMORT WAS POWERFUL! IF IT WASN'T FOR THAT POTTER BOY, HIS SISTERS AND THEIR MUDBLOOD MOTHER, HE WOULD HAVE TAKEN OVER THE ENTIRE WIZARDING WORLD BY NOW! BUT THE STUPID BABIES JUST HAD TO LIVE!**_

 _Okay, okay, calm down yeesh. What's gotten your knickers in a twist? For your information Harry Potter's sister was killed. AND DONT USE THE M WORD. LILY POTTER DIED A HERO EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS MUGGLEBORN!_

 _ **Actually Harry Potter had two sisters; one survived the attack while the other didn't. Also I'm sorry about the M word slip up, being trapped in a diary does things to you, you know.**_

 _Oh sorry. It's alright. I guess you learn something new every day. What are his sisters' names?_

 _ **The one who was murdered was called Violet and the one who lived is called -**_

"Sky?" My mother's worried voice came up the stairs. Then I find myself engulfed in one of her famous hugs. "Oh, my baby! I was so worried! Are you okay?!"

"Mum-can't-breathe." I gasped and she released me, putting the back of her hand against my forehead.

"Well you don't have a temperature. How do you feel sweetie?"

"I'm fine." She sent me a look. "Honestly Mum I am!"

"Okay fine. Get your shoes on we're going to Diagon Alley is five minutes."

"HOORAY!" I squeal as I run off to get my shoes.

We used the Floo to get to the Leaky Cauldron and then passed through the magic archway into Diagon Alley.

"Arthur dear, can you take the boys whilst I take Sky?" Mum asked Dad.

"Of course, Molly."

So the boys (Dad, Percy, Gred, Forge and Ron) left, leaving Mum and I (Ginny had gone to a friend's house) alone.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

"So Mum, what are we going to buy first?' I asked once the boys are out of sight.

"We'll start with the robes."

"I started heading towards the second-hand robes shop when Mum stopped me. "You're going the wrong way dear."

"But isn't the robes shop that way?" I asked in confusion.

"Mum chuckled, "We're going to Madam Malkin's," she said, amusement evident in her voice.

"But Mum, we can't afford to go there!"

"Don't worry darling, it has all been sorted out."

"When we arrived at Madam Malkin's Mum told me to go in and that she'd come back in a bit because she had something to do.

"So there I was trying to think of the most amazing way to enter the shop.

Ha. I almost fooled myself - almost. I was actually too scared to enter the shop. It's not that I'd never been in a shop by myself before because I had, just once, and it was one of the worst experiences of my life . I was the only customer and the shop owner had been replaced by a creepy old man. I shudder to think what could've happened if Bill and Charlie hadn't walked past and heard me scream

Long story short, ever since that day I was terrified of entering shops by myself.

After what seemed like hours (it was actually, like, two minutes) I heard someone behind me./

"Alrigh' there?"

A giant of a man was standing behind me. His face was almost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all the hair.

"Yes, thank you," I said shyly, "I just don't want to go in alone."

"You can come in with me if you want," said a small voice. I saw a head with messy black hair peeping out from behind the giant.

"I'd like that very much," I replied giving him a shy smile which he returned.

I turned back to the giant. "It was nice to meet you, Mister-?"

"Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. But yeh can call me Hagrid. Everyone does." He said extending an arm for me to shake.

I shook it and smiled, "Well then it was nice to meet you Hagrid. I'm Sky.

"Nice to meet you too Sky."


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

I turned to the messy haired boy beside me. "What's your name?"

"My name is Harry."

"So Harry," I began, "Shall we go inside?" I finished putting on a brave face.

"Yeah," he replied with as much fear as I was feeling in his voice.

Without thinking, I slipped my hand into his and gave it a comforting squeeze. He gave me a grateful smile and our eyes met, briefly. I stifled a gasp. His eyes!

After a taking a deep breath we entered the store, still hand in hand.

Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling witch dressed all in mauve.

"Hogwarts, dears?" she said, when Harry started to speak. "Got the lot here — another young man being fitted up just now, in fact. "

In the back of the shop, a boy with a pale, pointed face was standing on a footstool while a second witch pinned up his long black robes. Madam Malkin stood Harry on a stool next to him, slipped a long robe over his head, and began to pin it to the right length whilst a third witch did the same for me.

The boy started talking to Harry but I wasn't listening. I couldn't stop thinking about Harry's eyes. They were a brilliant emerald green, not like anyone's I had ever seen before. Except I felt as if I had seen them before, but that can't be true because I had only just met Harry. But that was not all, there was something about his eyes, something about him, that made me feel safe and relaxed. It was as if I had known him all my life, like I could tell him anything.

"I was brought out of my thoughts by the blond boy leaving the shop.

Harry looked like something was bothering him.

"What's up Harry?"

"What are Slytherin and Hufflepuff?"

"Those are two of the four houses at Hogwarts. The other two are Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. They were all named after the founders of Hogwarts: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin. Everyone says Hufflepuff are a load of duffers but—"

"I bet I'm in Hufflepuff," Harry said gloomily.

"Hufflepuff are not a load of duffers and they are very friendly. It wouldn't matter if you got sorted into Hufflepuff, you'd make lots of friends there. Anyway, better Hufflepuff than Slytherin."

"What's wrong with Slytherin?"

"Well there's nothing really wrong with the house itself just what it is associated with. You see Harry, there's not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin. Voldemort was one of them."

"Voldemort was at Hogwarts?"

"Yeah, many years ago. So now people think that being a Slytherin automatically makes you evil. I wouldn't mind being in Slytherin, but my family would probably disown me. They have been in Gryffindor for as long as I can remember and the absolutely detest Slytherin. Mum and Dad want me to be in Gryffindor, house of the brave, but I don't think I'm brave enough. Maybe I'll be in Hufflepuff..."

"And what's Quidditch?"

"It's our sport. Wizard sport. It's like — like football (soccer, if you are American) in the Muggle world — everyone follows Quidditch — played up in the air on broomsticks and there's four balls — sort of hard to explain the rules though."

"Thanks Sky."

"No problem Harry."

Mum walked in as soon as the lady told me that I was done. She paid and as we were leaving I yelled back at Harry. "Bye Harry, see you at Hogwarts!"

"Bye!" He yelled back.

"So, where to next Mum?"

"We're meeting the boys at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour."


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

"We met the boys and Dad bought us ice cream. Then a question came into my mind: Does muggle ice cream taste the same as wizard ice cream?

"Anyway, after the ice cream we swapped groups. I went with Dad and the boys went with Mum.

"We went to Eeylops Owl Emporium and Dad said I could pick anything I liked. My attention was immediately drawn to an owl that was locked in a cage, keeping it isolated from the rest.

I walked towards it, ignoring the shop member's cries of "That bird is dangerous! Stay away!" I stroked it and it immediately calmed. It was a midnight black owl with the most brilliant emerald green eyes, kind of like Harry's. This was the perfect owl for me.

"Dad, can I get this one?"

"Sure poppet, how much is it?

The shopkeeper was staring in awe at the now calm owl, perched on my shoulder.

"That would be 5 Knuts. We kept lowering the price because no one would buy her."

While Dad was paying, I decided what I was going to call my owl. I was going to call her Lily.

 **OoOoO**

We walked into Olivander's to the sight of Harry waving a wand in the air.

"HARRY!" I yelled as Mr. Olivander snatched the wand from Harry.

"SKY!" He screamed back.

"Hiya Hagrid."

"Hello again Sky. Good ter see yeh Arthur."

"You too Hagrid. I see you've met my daughter."

"Then Mr. Olivander spoke up. "Ah- I've been expecting you Miss. -" He paused "- Weasley. Once I'm done with Mr. Potter over here we shall find out which wand is the wand for you."

"You're a tricky customer Mr. Potter." The old man said as he went through more boxes. "Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere - I wonder, now - yes, why not - unusual combination - holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."

Harry took the wand and his face lit up. He raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls.

"Hagrid, Dad and I whooped and clapped and Mr. Olivander cried "Oh bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well... how curious... how very curious..."

"He put Harry's wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering, "Curious... curious..."

"Sorry," said Harry, "but what's curious?"

Mr. Olivander fixed Harry with his pale stare.

"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave two more feathers - just two more. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when one of its brothers why, one of its brothers gave you that scar."

Harry swallowed.

"Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember... I think we must expect great things from you, Mr. Potter... After all, He- Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things - terrible, yes, but great."

I shivered. I wasn't sure I liked Mr. Ollivander very much. Harry paid for his wand, and took a seat as Mr. Ollivander turned to me. "Now, Miss. Weasley, something tells me that it is going to be as hard as it was or even harder than it was to find Mr. Potter's wand to find yours. Now, hold out your wand arm please."

 **OoOoO**

There was a pile of discarded wands twice the size of the pile that Harry had and yet still we hadn't found the wand for me.

What if no wand chooses me?

What if I can't go to Hogwarts?

I was brought out of my thoughts by Mr. Olivander.

"Why don't you try picking out a wand?"

I started walking towards a wand when I felt something beckoning me to go in the opposite direction. I turned and saw a single wand box lying on a table. On opening it I saw the most beautiful wand I had ever seen. It was made from this wood that twisted round and round so elegantly. It even had this sort of built in handle with a stag, a heart and a lily on the top and a wolf, a dog and another stag at the bottom.

I picked it up and I felt warmth spread through me. I waved the wand and out came four glitter shapes: the stag, the lily, the wolf and the dog. The lily turned into a doe and they all paraded around the room while Hagrid, Dad and Harry all cheered, Mr. Olivander muttering even more. Once the figures were gone he spoke clearly.

"Strange... very strange... usually the wand chooses the wizard... but the wizard, or witch in this case, chose the wand... You have chosen a very special wand Miss. Weasley. It is the only wand made from wood from the Whomping Willow, the only wand with a double core: phoenix feather and phoenix tears, the only wand with a core of phoenix tears. It is also the other brother to Mr. Potter's wand, so as I said to Mr. Potter, we can expect great things from you."

"Whoa," I said taken aback. " Hey Harry, our wands are brothers!"

"Awesome!"

"Yes, indeed. Ten-and-a-half inches. Brilliant for healing. Can heal absolutely anything if you know how to use it properly."

MY. WAND. IS. AWESOME.

Dad paid seven Galleons for my wand and we headed back to the Leaky Cauldron after saying bye to Harry and Hagrid. I couldn't wait till Hogwarts.


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

"Ron, wake up."

Nothing.

"Wake up, Ron."

Still nothing.

"Ro-on, Ro-nald!"

Seriously!?

"Oh for Merlin's sake - RONALD BILIUS WEASLEY IF YOU DO NOT WAKE UP THIS INSTANT YOU WON'T GET ANY BREAKFAST!"

As soon as the word breakfast left my mouth Ron shot up like a rocket.

"NOOOOO! NOT MY FOOD! I'm up, I'm up." Then he caught sight of the time. "Bloody hell. It's five thirty in the morning! Why d'you wake me up? What time did YOU wake up?"

I giggled at his antics.

"Y-y-your r-r-reac-reaction!" I choked between laughs.

"S'not funny."

It took me three minutes to calm down.

"WE'RE FINALLY GOING TO HOGWARTS RON! JUST A FEW MORE HOURS AND WE'LL BE ON OUR WAY THERE!"

"I know Sky." Ron yawned, but he sounded more excited. "But you still haven't answered my questions."

"Oh, right. Well, I woke up at two thirty and could go back to sleep so I read through all my school textbooks and repacked my trunk three times before deciding to wake you up."

I heard snoring so I looked up.

Guess what I saw!?

My _lovely_ brother had gone back to sleep. _Brilliant._ Now I had nobody to talk to.

 _ **You can talk to me.**_

Merlin- I had forgotten all about Tom!

 _Tom- you scared me!_

 _ **Sorry Sky. I just couldn't help but notice you had nothing to do.**_

 _And where were you whilst I was unpacking and repacking my trunk over and over?_

 _ **Umm - sleeping?**_

 _You can sleep in my head?_

 _ **Of course. Your mind even created a replica of the Slytherin Common room for me.**_

 _Whoa, really?_

 _ **Yes.**_

 _Oh I've been meaning to ask, how did you end up in my mind?_

 _ **Well, as you already know, Voldemort trapped me in my diary. I was trying to escape and I got sucked into this portal thing, which left me in your head.**_

 _Cool. I've always wanted to be sucked into a portal. Anyway, thanks for keeping me company Tom. I have to go now._

 _ **No problem. Bye.**_

 _Bye._

 **OoOoO**

We were heading towards the barrier between platform nine and platform ten.

Mum was talking but I was only half listening because I was too busy looking for a certain person with messy black hair and emerald green eyes.

"- Packed with muggles, of course -"

I thought I saw a flash of black hair but when I looked back there was no one there.

Percy, Fred and George all went through the barrier and still I was looking for Harry.

"- First year at Hogwarts? It's Ron and Sky's first year too."

I whipped around and saw Mum talking to...

"Harry!" I shrieked as I tackled him into a big hug.

"Hey Sky." He chuckled, hugging me back.

"You know this boy Sky?" Mum asked me.

"Yeah. We met in Diagon Alley."

She turned back to Harry.

"Oh, so _you're_ the boy Sky's been talking about. It's wonderful to meet you."

"You too." He said.

"Right now, you three. You should go through the barrier now. Quick, you don't want to miss the train do you?"

Ron went through the barrier and I was about to ask Harry if he wanted to go next, when he mumbled something, suddenly quite interested in his shoes.

"Pardon Harry?"

"Well you see - the thing is - the thing is, I don't know how to -"

"To get onto the platform?" I asked and he nodded.

"Don't worry. All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. If you stop or be scared you will crash so it's best to do it at a bit of a run. We can go together if you like."

Harry nodded again and we both took off and ran towards the barrier.

As we got closer I closed my eyes and when I opened them I saw a scarlet steam engine waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts Express, eleven O'clock. Harry and I looked behind us and saw a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on it. Even though I had been through the barrier several times, escorting Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred and George, this time was different, this time I was actually going to Hogwarts.

Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every colour wound here and there between our legs. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks.

The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting over seats. Harry and I pushed our carts off down the platform in search of two empty seats. We passed a round-faced boy who was saying, "Gran, I've lost my toad again."

"Oh, Neville," we heard the old woman sigh.

A small crowd surrounded a boy with dreadlocks who I recognised as Fred and George's friend, Lee Jordan.

"Give us a look, Lee, go on." Someone said

Lee lifted the lid of a box in his arms, and the people around him shrieked and yelled as something inside poked out a long, hairy leg. I had a feeling it was a tarantula.

We pressed on through the crowd until we found an empty compartment near the end of the train. We put Lily and Hedwig (Harry's owl) inside first and then started to shove and heave Harry's trunk toward the train door. We tried to lift it up the steps but we could hardly raise it and twice we dropped it, by accident of course, on Harry's foot.

"Want a hand?" George asked appearing out of nowhere.

"Yes please." Harry and I panted.

"Oy, Fred. C'mere and help!"

With the twins help, both Harry's trunks and mine were at last tucked away in a corner of the compartment.

"Thanks boys." I said at the same time Harry said, "Thanks."

"No problem." Fred and George said in sync.

"So Sky -" Fred began.

"Aren't you going to -" George continued.

"Introduce us to your friend?" They finished together.

"Fred, George, this is Harry. Harry these are my brothers, Fred and George, they are starting their third year."

"Nice to meet you." Harry said.

"You too." Both.

"Sky's been -" Fred.

"Talking about you -" George.

"Ever since -" Fred.

"Diagon Alley." George.

"She wouldn't shut up." Both.

"That's not true!" I protested.

The boys tried to mimic me but failed terribly.

"Two more days till I see Harry again!"

"I can't wait for you to meet him! You'll love him!"

"He's got the most amazing eyes. When I look at them just feel -"

"That's enough." I said frowning. I had trusted Fred and George to keep that a secret when they overheard me telling Ron, but George had started to tell Harry.

I looked at Harry who awkwardly pushed his sweaty hair out of his eyes.

What's that?" George said suddenly, pointing at a lightning scar on Harry's forehead.

"Blimey," said Fred. "Are you?"

"He is," said George. "Aren't you?" he added to Harry.

"What?" Harry asked.

"Harry Potter, "chorused the twins.

"Oh, him," said Harry. "I mean, yes, I am."

The two boys gawked at him, and Harry turned red.

"Sky! Why didn't you tell us that you're friends with Harry Potter?"

"Err - I forgot?" To be honest I hadn't realized. Thinking back on it I remember Mr Olivander kept calling him Mr Potter, but I wasn't really paying attention at the time. Oh well.

Mum's voice came floating in through the train's open door.

"Fred, George, Sky, are you there?"

"Coming Mum." We chorused. I turned to Harry. "I'll be right back."

When we got out, Mum had taken out her handkerchief.

"Ron you've got something on your nose."

Ron tried to jerk out of the way but Mum caught him and started rubbing the end of his nose with the handkerchief.

"Mum - geroff." Ron exclaimed before he wriggled free.

"Aaah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie?" said George.

"Shut up," said Ron.

"Where's Percy?" said Mum

"He's coming now."

Percy came striding into sight. He had already changed into his billowing black Hogwarts robes, and had his shiny silver prefect badge on his chest.

"Can't stay long, Mother," he said. "I'm up front, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves -"

"Oh, are you a prefect, Percy?" said Fred, with an air of great surprise. "You should have said something, we had no idea."

"Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it," said George. "Once -"

"Or twice -"

"A minute -"

"All summer -"

"Oh, shut up," said Perfect Percy the Prefect.

"How come Percy gets new robes, anyway?" said Fred.

"Because he's a prefect," Mum said fondly. "All right, dear, well, have a good term - send me an owl when you get there."

She kissed Percy on the cheek and he left. Then she turned to the twins.

"Now, you two - this year, you behave yourselves. If I get one more owl telling me you've - you've blown up a toilet or -"

"Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet."

"Great idea though, thanks, Mom."

"It's not funny. And look after Sky and Ron."

"Don't worry, ickle Ronniekins and Little Blue are safe with us."

"Shut up," said Ron again. Haha I got a better nickname.

"Hey, Mom, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?"

"You know that black-haired boy who was near us in the station? Know who he is?"

"Yes. He's Sky's friend Harry."

"He's Harry Potter!"

Then Ginny spoke up.

"Oh, Mum, can I go on the train and see him, Mum, eh please..."

"You've already seen him, Ginny, and the poor boy isn't something you goggle at in a zoo. Is he really, Fred? How do you know?"

"Asked him. Saw his scar. It's really there - like lightning."

"Sky, is this true?" I nodded.

"Poor dear - no wonder he was alone, I wondered."

"Never mind that, do you think he remembers what You-Know-Who looks like?"

Mum suddenly became very stern.

"I forbid you to ask him, Fred. No, don't you dare. As though he needs reminding of that on his first day at school."

"All right, keep your hair on."

A whistle sounded.

"Hurry up!" Mum said, and the three boys and my awesome self clambered onto the train. We leaned out of the window for her to kiss us good-bye, and Ginny began to cry.

"Don't cry, Ginny, we'll send you loads of owls."

"We'll send you a Hogwarts toilet seat."

"George!"

"Only joking, Mom."

"I'll write everyday Gin."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

The train began to move. Mum waved and Ginny, half laughing, half crying, ran to keep up with the train until it gathered too much speed, and then she fell back and waved.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 9**

I turned around and saw that the boys had already gone to their compartments so I set off to the compartment where I left Harry.

On the way there I found Ron.

He sighed in frustration. "All the compartments are full!"

"There's room in mine and Harry's compartment. You could join us if you like."

"Brilliant! He isn't really Harry Potter, is he?"

"You'll have to ask him that."

"Hi again Harry. This is my twin, Ron. Do you mind if he sits with us?"

"Not at all. Nice to meet you Ron."

Before Ron could say anything, Fred and George entered the compartment.

"Ron, Sky. Listen, we're going down the middle of the train - Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."

"Right." Ron mumbled while I said "Kay."

"So we'll see you lot later."

"Bye."

"Bye Harry."

"Bye."

Once the twins had left, Ron blurted out,

"Are you really Harry Potter?"

I just had to laugh at his bluntness.

Harry nodded.

"Oh -well, I thought it might be one of Sky's jokes," said Ron. "And have you really got - you know..."

He pointed at Harry's forehead.

" _Ronald!"_

Harry pulled back his bangs to show the lightning scar. Ron stared.

"So that's where You-Know-Who -"

"Yes," said Harry, "but I can't remember it."

"Nothing?" said Ron eagerly.

I smacked the back of his head and he rubbed it, scowling at me.

"Well - I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else."

"Wow," said Ron. He sat and stared at Harry for a few moments, then, as though he had suddenly realized what he was doing, he looked quickly out of the window again.

Lucky boy. I was just about to smack him again.

"Sky said that you live with muggles." Ron said. "What are they like?"

"Horrible -well, not all of them. My aunt and uncle and cousin are, though. Wish I'd had three older wizard brothers."

"We actually have five older brothers." I said. "And a younger sister."

"Wow." Harry answered.

"Not really." Ron said looking gloomy. "Sky and I are the sixth and seventh in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say we've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left - Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects us to do as well as the others, but if we do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. Well, Sky gets new stuff since she's the eldest girl. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat."

Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat grey rat, which was asleep. Scabbers. I swear that rat gives me the creeps. But it looks oddly familiar.

"His name's Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl from my dad for being made a prefect, but they couldn't aff - I mean, I got Scabbers instead."

Ron's ears went pink. He seemed to think he'd said too much, because he went back to staring out of the window. I don't know why he was ashamed that we were poor, I sure wasn't. I think that if we had more money, our family wouldn't be as close as it is now.

Harry didn't seem to think there was anything wrong with not being able to afford an owl either. After all, he told us, he'd never had any money in his life until a month ago, and he told us all about him having to wear his cousin Dudley's old clothes and never getting proper birthday presents. This seemed to cheer Ron up, but it made me feel upset and a little mad too.

"... And until Hagrid told me, I didn't know anything about being a wizard or about my parents or Voldemort."

Ron gasped and I chuckled.

"What?" Harry asked.

"You said You-Know-Who's name!" said Ron, sounding both shocked and impressed. "I'd have thought you, of all people -"

"Ron, it's just a name!"

"I'm not trying to be brave or anything, saying the name," said Harry. "I just never knew you shouldn't. See what I mean? I've got loads to learn... I bet," he added, voicing something that I could tell had been bothering him for a while, "I bet I'm the worst in the class."

"You won't be the worst in the class." I told him. "Lots of people are muggleborns and they learn quick enough. I'm sure you will too. To be honest I don't know any spells either. As for Voldemort, - get over it Ronald - there really is nothing wrong with saying his name, people are just afraid. But I think that if you fear his name you will just fear him even more."

While we had been talking, the train had carried us out of London. Now we were speeding past fields full of cows and sheep. We were quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes flick past.

Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back out door and said, "Anything off the cart, dears?"

Harry, leapt to his feet, but Ron's ears went pink again and he muttered that he'd brought sandwiches. Harry went out into the corridor while I stayed put, half asleep.

Ron stared as Harry came back with his arms filled with what looked like everything on the trolley and tipped it onto an empty seat.

"Hungry, are you?"

"Starving," said Harry, taking a large bite out of a pumpkin pasty.

Ron had taken out a lumpy package and unwrapped it. There were four sandwiches that Mum had made inside. He pulled one of them apart and said, "She always forgets I don't like corned beef."

"Swap you for one of these," said Harry, holding up a pasty. "Go on -"

"You don't want this, its all dry," said Ron. "She hasn't got much time," he added quickly, "you know, with six of us."

"Go on, have a pasty," said Harry, who seemed very eager to share.

"What are these?" Harry asked me, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs. "They're not really frogs, are they?"

"No," I assured him.

Then Ron said, "See what the card is. I'm missing Agrippa."

"What?"

"Ron, Harry doesn't know about these - Chocolate Frogs have cards, inside them, you know, to collect - famous witches and wizards. Ron's got about five hundred, but he hasn't got Agrippa or Ptolemy. I really want to get Dumbledore."

Harry unwrapped his Chocolate Frog and picked up the card.

"So this is Dumbledore!" said Harry.

Dang it. I wanted Dumbledore.

"Don't tell me you'd never heard of Dumbledore!" said Ron. "Can I have a frog? I might get Agrippa - thanks."

"Here you go Sky." Harry tossed me a frog.

"Thank you." I ripped open the packet and looked at the card.

"I FINALLY GOT DUMBLEDORE!"

I turned over the card and read:

ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

CURRENTLY HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTS

Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling.

"He's gone!" I heard Harry say.

"Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day," said Ron. "He'll be back. No, I've got Morgana again and I've got about six of her... do you want it? You can start collecting."

Ron's eyes strayed to the pile of Chocolate Frogs waiting to be unwrapped.

"Help yourself," said Harry. "But in, you know, the Muggle world, people just stay put in photos."

"Do they? What, they don't move at all?" Ron sounded amazed. "Weird!"

That was the last thing I heard before I drifted of to sleep.

I woke up to Harry shaking me.

"Sky, wake up. We are nearly there so you need to put your robes on."

I glanced out of the window. It was getting dark. I could see mountains and forests under a deep purple sky and the train seemed to be slowing down indeed.

Harry and Ron took off their jackets and pulled on their long black robes and I followed suit. Ron's were a bit short for him since Bill was, and still is, quite short, meaning that we could see little Ronnie's big boy trainers underneath them.

A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

I had butterflies in my stomach from both excitement and nervousness, and Ron and Harry seemed to be just as nervous as I was. I could see that Ron looked quite pale. They crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and then we joined the crowd thronging the corridor.

The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed and shoved their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. I rubbed my arms for warmth in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and I heard a familiar voice: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry, Sky?"

Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.

"C'mon, follow me - any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"

Slipping and stumbling, we followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of us so I reckoned that there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much. This boy, Neville I think his name was, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice.

"Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."

There was a loud "Oooooh!"

The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black take. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers. It was truly beautiful.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. A girl with bushy brown hair and rather large front teeth followed Harry, Ron and I into our boat. "Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then - FORWARD!"

And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. It would be a lovely place to come at night. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over us as we sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.

"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; we all bent their heads and the little boats carried us through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. We were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking us right underneath the castle (I wonder if it has people held captive in the dungeons), until we reached a kind of underground harbour, where we clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.

"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.

"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands. Then we clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.

We walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, Oak front door.

"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?"

Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.

I'm about to enter Hogwarts!


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER 10**

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and I made a mental note that this was not someone to cross.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big you could have fit... I don't even have anything to describe how big it was. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.

We followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. We could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right -the rest of the school must already be here - but Professor McGonagall showed us first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. We crowded in, standing rather closer together than we would usually have done, peering about nervously.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.

The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."

Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose. Harry nervously tried to flatten his hair and I ran my fingers through my own, trying to tame my knotted curls before rubbing Ron's nose to try and get rid of the smudge.

"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."

She left the chamber.

"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" Harry asked.

"Some sort of test, I think." Ron replied. "Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."

A panicked expression appeared on Harry's face. He looked around anxiously at everyone else, who all looked terrified, too. No one was talking much except for the bushy hair girl, Hermione Granger, Harry informed me, who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learned and wondering which one she'd need.

I leant down and whispered in Harry's ear.

"Fred and George lied to Ron about the sorting. You don't have to do a test or wrestle a troll or anything, and it doesn't hurt. You just have to sit on a stool and the Sorting Hat will be placed on your head and tell you what House you should be in."

"What's the Sorting Hat?" Harry asked.

Before I could answer something happened that made us jump about a foot in the air - several people behind us screamed.

"What the -?"

Harry gasped. So did the people around us. I just stood there awestruck. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at us first years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying: "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance -"

"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost - I say, what are you all doing here?"

A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed us.

Nobody answered.

"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at us. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"

A few people nodded mutely.

"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know."

"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."

Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.

"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told us, "and follow me."

Feeling oddly as though my legs had turned to lead, I got into line behind Harry, with Ron behind me, and we walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

I had never even dreamed of such a strange and splendid place. Thousands and thousands of candles floating in mid-air over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting, lit it. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led us up there, so that we came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind us. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight, but I could still make out the distinctive ginger hair of Fred, George and Percy. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, I followed Harry's gaze upwards and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. It was enchanting.

I heard Hermione whisper, "Its bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History."

It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open on to the heavens. I wonder if Angels can just fly down straight into the Great Hall.

Harry and I quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of us first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. It was the Legendary Sorting Hat.

Everyone in the hall was now staring at the hat. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth - and the hat began to sing:

 _"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,_

 _But don't judge on what you see,_

 _I'll eat myself if you can find_

 _A smarter hat than me._

 _You can keep your bowlers black,_

 _Your top hats sleek and tall,_

 _For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

 _And I can cap them all._

 _There's nothing hidden in your head_

 _The Sorting Hat can't see,_

 _So try me on and I will tell you_

 _Where you ought to be._

 _You might belong in Gryffindor,_

 _Where dwell the brave at heart,_

 _Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_

 _Set Gryffindors apart;_

 _You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

 _Where they are just and loyal,_

 _Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

_And unafraid of toil;_

 _Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

 _If you've a ready mind,_

 _Where those of wit and learning,_

 _Will always find their kind;_

 _Or perhaps in Slytherin_

 _You'll make your real friends,_

 _Those cunning folk use any means_

 _To achieve their ends._

 _So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

 _And don't get in a flap!_

 _You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

 _For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.

So we've just got to try on the hat!" Ron whispered to Harry and I. "I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll."

Harry and I chuckled quietly. I tried, and failed to imagine Ron fighting a mountain troll.

Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"

A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moment's pause -

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.

The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. The ghost of the Fat Friar waved merrily at her.

"Bones, Susan!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.

"Boot, Terry!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.

"Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw too, but "Brown, Lavender" became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; I could see (and hear) Fred and George catcalling.

"Bulstrode, Millicent" then became a Slytherin.

"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Sometimes, the hat shouted out the house at once, but at others it took a little while to decide. "Finnigan, Seamus," the sandy-haired boy in front of Harry in the line, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.

"Granger, Hermione!"

Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.

"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat. Ron groaned. I smacked him again.

When Neville Longbottom, the boy who kept losing his toad, was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR," Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to "MacDougal, Morag."

The pale boy from Madam Malkin's, Draco Malfoy swaggered forward when his name was called and got his wish at once: the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"

Malfoy went to join his friends (more like gorillas) Crabbe and Goyle, looking pleased with himself.

There weren't many people left now. "Moon" "Nott" "Parkinson" then a pair of twin girls, "Patil" and "Patil" then "Perks, Sally-Anne" and then, at last - "Potter, Harry!"

As Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.

"Potter, did she say?"

"The Harry Potter?"

Just before the hat dropped over his eyes, I mouthed Harry a good luck.

It felt like forever until the Hat shouted: "GRYFFINDOR!"

I cheered loudly as Harry took off the hat and walked toward the Gryffindor table. He was getting the loudest cheer yet. Perfect Percy the Prefect got up and shook his hand vigorously, while the twins yelled, "We got Potter! We got Potter!" Harry sat down opposite the ghost in the ruff we'd seen earlier and the ghost patted his arm.

And now there were only five of us left. "Thomas, Dean," a black boy even taller than Ron, joined Harry at the Gryffindor table. "Turpin, Lisa," became a Ravenclaw and then it was Ron's turn. He was pale green by now. I gave his hand a comforting squeeze and a second later the hat had shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"

I cheered loudly with the rest as Ron collapsed into the chair next to Harry.

"Weasley, Sky."

I walked slowly to the stool and placed the hat on my head.

 _"Hello, oh so wise Sorting Hat."_

 _"Hello Miss. Weasley. Now, let's see. Ah, you're a tricky one. You have a good mind, but Ravenclaw is not for you. You are loyal to those you love and care for, but not Hufflepuff either. You are brave and ambitious and your life is full of secrets yet I can't place you in Slytherin or Gryffindor."_

 _"What? Does that mean that I can't stay at Hogwarts?"_

 _"No, of course not. It means that you get to decide what house you're going to be in."_

 _"Cool. Can I please be in Gryffindor?"_

 _"Yes you may. You are now an official_ GRYFFINDOR!"


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER 11**

The Gryffindor table exploded into cheers once more as I slid in between Harry and Ron.

"Well done, Sky, excellent," said Percy from across the table as "Zabini, Blaise," was made a Slytherin.

Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.

I looked down at my empty gold plate. I had only just realized how hungry I was. I should have had more than just a chocolate frog on the train.

Professor Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at all of us, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see us all there.

"Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"

 _Hmmm. I think I'm going to like this headmaster._

He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered.

"Is he - a bit mad?" Harry asked Percy uncertainly.

"Mad?" said Percy airily. "He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes. Potatoes, Harry?"

I looked back at the table and my mouth fell open. The dishes in front of us were now piled with food. Mum's meals are brilliant, I love everything she cooks, but I had never seen so many things I liked to eat on one table. There was: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, carrots, ketchup, peas, gravy and, for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs, but I'm definitely not trying those.

I piled my plate with a bit of everything except the peppermints, peas and gravy, and then began to eat. It was all delicious.

"That does look good," said the ghost in the ruff sadly, watching us eating.

"Can't you -?" Harry began.

"I haven't eaten for nearly four hundred years," said the ghost. "I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself. Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower, at your service."

"I know who you are!" said Ron suddenly. "My brothers told me about you - you're Nearly Headless Nick!"

 _Oh yeah. Fred and George told us about him. Why so blunt Ronald?_

"I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy -" the ghost began stiffly, but a sandy-haired boy called Seamus Finnigan interrupted.

" _Nearly_ Headless? How can you be _nearly_ headless?"

Sir Nicholas looked extremely miffed, as if this little chat wasn't going at all the way he wanted.

"Like this," he said irritably. He seized his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder as if it was on a hinge. I shuddered. Someone had obviously tried to behead him, but not done it properly. Yikes.

Looking pleased at the stunned looks on the boys' faces, Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back onto his neck, coughed, and said, "So - new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the house championship this year? Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherin have got the cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable - he's the Slytherin ghost."

We looked over at the Slytherin table and saw a horrible ghost sitting there, with blank staring eyes, a gaunt face, and robes stained with silver blood. He was right next to Draco, who didn't look too pleased with the seating arrangements.

"How did he get covered in blood?" asked Seamus with great interest.

"I've never asked," said Nearly Headless Nick delicately.

When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the desserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavour you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate éclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jelly, rice pudding - "

As I helped myself to a jam doughnut, the talk turned to our families.

"I'm half-and-half," said Seamus. "Me dad's a Muggle. Mom didn't tell him she was a witch 'til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him."

We all laughed.

"What about you, Neville?" said Ron.

"Well, my gran brought me up and she's a witch," said Neville, "but the family thought I was all- Muggle for ages. My Great Uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off my guard and force some magic out of me - he pushed me off the end of Blackpool pier once, I nearly drowned - but nothing happened until I was eight. Great Uncle Algie came round for dinner, and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles when my Great Auntie Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go. But I bounced - all the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased, Gran was crying, she was so happy. And you should have seen their faces when I got in here - they thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great Uncle Algie was so pleased he bought me my toad."

On the other side of Harry, Percy and Hermione were talking about lessons ("I do hope they start right away, there's so much to learn, I'm particularly interested in Transfiguration, you know, turning something into something else, of course, it's supposed to be very difficult-"; "You'll be starting small, just matches into needles and that sort of thing - ").

I was starting to feel warm and sleepy, so I put my head on Harry's shoulder and followed his gaze up the High Table. Hagrid was drinking deeply from his goblet. Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore. The Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, Professor Quirrell, according to Harry, in his absurd turban, was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin. I could identify him from all of Fred and George's descriptions. It was the Potions master, Professor Snape.

It happened very suddenly. Snape looked past Quirrell's turban straight into Harry's eyes.

"Ouch!" Harry clapped a hand to his head.

"Are you alright?" I asked him.

"Y-yeah."

His pain seemed to have gone as quickly as it had come.

 _Did Snape do that to him? I don't think he likes Harry very much._

 _ **No.**_

The voice that answered didn't sound like Tom at all.

 _Tom, is that you?_

No reply. Maybe I'm just tired.

"Who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?" Harry asked.

"That's Professor Snape." I said, "He teaches Potions, but he doesn't want to - everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job. Apparently he knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts."

At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.

"Ahern - just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.

First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."

Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of, did you guess it, Fred and George.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.

Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.

And finally, I must tell you that this year; the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

"Is he serious?" I muttered.

"Must be," said Percy, frowning at Dumbledore. "It's odd, because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere - the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us prefects, at least."

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. I noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed.

Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words.

"Everyone pick their favourite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!"

And the school bellowed:

 _"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,_

 _Teach us something please,_

 _Whether we be old and bald_

 _Or young with scabby knees,_

 _Our heads could do with filling_

 _With some interesting stuff,_

 _For now they're bare and full of air,_

 _Dead flies and bits of fluff,_

 _So teach us things worth knowing,_

 _Bring back what we've forgot,_

 _Just do your best, we'll do the rest,_

 _And learn until our brains all rot._

Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only Fred, George and I were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted our last few lines with his wand and when we had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest.

"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

 _Music_ is _magical isn't it? I wish I could use it. Maybe it could save lives one day._

All the Gryffindor first years followed Percy through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. I was too tired to pay attention to where we were going. We climbed more staircases, yawning and dragging their feet, and, just as I was about to collapse from exhaustion, we came to a sudden halt.

A bundle of walking sticks was floating in mid-air ahead of us, and as Percy took a step toward them they started throwing themselves at him.

"Peeves," Percy whispered to us. "A poltergeist." He raised his voice, "Peeves - show yourself"

A loud, rude sound, like the air being let out of a balloon, answered.

"Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?"

There was a pop, and a little man with wicked, dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating cross- legged in the air, clutching the walking sticks.

 _Really!?_ This _is what is interrupting my sleep!_

"Oooooooh!" he said, with an evil cackle. "Ickle Firsties! What fun!"

He swooped suddenly at us. They all ducked. I was too tired to.

"Go away, Peeves, or the Baron'll hear about this, I mean it!" barked Percy.

Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished, dropping the walking sticks on poor Neville's head. We heard him zooming away, rattling coats of armor as he passed.

I closed my eyes for a second, leaning against Ron.

I felt myself being lifted and opened my eyes to find myself in Percy's arms, before closing them again.

 _Ahh. So he_ does _care._

"You want to watch out for Peeves," I heard Percy say, as we set off again. "The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us prefects. Here we are."

I opened one eye. At the very end of the corridor hung a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.

"Password?" she said. "Caput Draconis," said Percy, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. Everyone scrambled through it - Neville needed a leg up - and we found ourselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cosy, round room full of squashy armchairs.

Percy put me down then directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another.

After saying goodnight to Percy, Ron and Harry, I followed Percy's directions. At the top of a spiral staircase - we were obviously in one of the towers – I found my bed at last: five four-posters, three of which were already occupied, hung with deep red, velvet curtains. Our trunks had already been brought up. Too tired to try and make small talk with my roommates, I pulled on my pajamas and fell into bed, falling asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

In the middle of the night, however, I woke, sweating and shaking, from a nightmare that I couldn't remember. I grabbed my pillow and silently creeped out of the dormitory all the way to the First Year Boys' dormitory and climbed into Ron's bed where I slept quite peacefully, despite my brother's loud snores.


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER 12**

"There, look."

"Where?"

"In between the two red heads"

"Wearing the glasses?"

"Did you see his face?"

"Did you see his scar?"

Whispers followed Harry from the moment he left his dormitory the next day. People lining up outside classrooms stood on tiptoe to get a look at him, or doubled back to pass him in the corridors again, staring. I felt sorry for him. It must be really hard to concentrate with everybody staring at you.

There were a hundred and forty-two staircases at Hogwarts: wide, sweeping ones; narrow, rickety ones; some that led somewhere different on a Friday; some with a vanishing step halfway up that you had to remember to jump. Then there were doors that wouldn't open unless you asked politely, or tickled them in exactly the right place, and doors that weren't really doors at all, but solid walls just pretending. It was also very hard to remember where anything was, because it all seemed to move around a lot. The people in the portraits kept going to visit each other, and Harry said he was sure the coats of armour could walk.

The ghosts didn't help, either. It was always a nasty shock when one of them glided suddenly through a door you were trying to open. Show offs. Nearly Headless Nick was always happy to point new Gryffindors in the right direction, but Peeves the Poltergeist was worth two locked doors and a trick staircase if you met him when you were late for class. He would drop wastepaper baskets on your head, pull rugs from under your feet, pelt you with bits of chalk, or sneak up behind you, invisible, grab your nose, and screech, "GOT YOUR CONK!"

Even worse than Peeves, if that was possible, was the caretaker, Argus Filch. Harry, Ron and I managed to get on the wrong side of him on our very first morning. Filch found us trying to force our way through a door that unluckily turned out to be the entrance to the out-of-bounds corridor on the third floor. He wouldn't believe us when we told him that we were lost, he was accusing us of trying to break into it on purpose, and was threatening to lock us in the dungeons when Professor Quirrell, who just so happened to be passing, rescued us.

Filch owned a cat called Mrs. Norris, a scrawny, dust-coloured creature with bulging, lamp like eyes just like Filch's. She patrolled the corridors alone. Break a rule in front of her, put just one toe out of line, and she'd whisk off for Filch, who'd appear, wheezing, two seconds later.

Filch knew the secret passageways of the school better than anyone (except of course, Fred and George) and could pop up as suddenly as any of the ghosts. We students all hated him, and it was the dearest ambition of many to give Mrs. Norris a good kick.

And then, once you had managed to find them, there were the classes themselves.

We had to study the night skies through our telescopes every Wednesday at midnight (there goes my beauty sleep) and learn the names of different stars and the movements of the planets.

Three times a week we went out to the greenhouses behind the castle to study Herbology, with a dumpy little witch called Professor Sprout, where we learned how to take care of all the strange plants and fungi, and found out what they were used for.

Easily the most boring class was History of Magic, which was the only one taught by a ghost. Professor Binns had been very old indeed when he had fallen asleep in front of the staff room fire and got up next morning to teach, leaving his body behind him. Binns droned on and on while we scribbled down names and dates, and got Emetic the Evil and Uric the Oddball mixed up.

Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was a tiny little wizard who had to stand on a pile of books to see over his desk. Cute. At the start of our first class he took the roll call, and when he reached Harry's name he gave an excited squeak and toppled out of sight.

Professor McGonagall was again different. I had been quite right to think she wasn't a teacher to cross. Strict and clever, she gave us a talking-to the moment we sat down in her first class.

"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she said. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."

Then she changed her desk into a pig and back again. We were all very impressed and couldn't wait to get started, but soon realized we weren't going to be changing the furniture into animals for a looong time. After taking a lot of complicated notes, we were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle. By the end of the lesson, only Hermione had made any difference to her match; Professor McGonagall showed the class how it had gone all silver and pointy and gave Hermione a rare smile.

The class everyone had really been looking forward to was Defense Against the Dark Arts, but Quirrell's lessons turned out to be a bit of a joke. His classroom smelled strongly of garlic, which everyone said was to ward off a vampire he'd met in Romania and was afraid would be coming back to get him one of these days. His turban, he told us, had been given to him by an African prince as a thank-you for getting rid of a troublesome zombie, but we weren't sure we believed this story. For one thing, when Seamus asked eagerly to hear how Quirrell had fought off the zombie, Quirrell went pink and started talking about the weather; for another, we had noticed that a funny smell hung around the turban, and Fred and George insisted that it was stuffed full of garlic as well, so that Quirrell was protected wherever he went.

Harry was very relieved to find out that, just like I told him, he wasn't miles behind everyone else. Lots of people had come from Muggle families and, like him, hadn't had any idea that they were witches and wizards. There was so much to learn that even the so-called 'purebloods' like Ron and I didn't have much of a head start.

Friday was an important day for the boys and me. We finally managed to find our way down to the Great Hall for breakfast without getting lost once.

"What have we got today?" Harry asked as he poured sugar on his porridge.

"Double Potions with the Slytherins," said Ron. "Snape's Head of Slytherin House. They say he always favours them - we'll be able to see if it's true."

"Wish McGonagall favoured us," said Harry. Professor McGonagall was head of Gryffindor House, but it hadn't stopped her from giving us a huge pile of homework the day before.

Just then, the mail arrived. We had all gotten used to this by now, but it had given us a bit of a shock on the first morning, when about a hundred owls had suddenly streamed into the Great Hall during breakfast, circling the tables until they saw their owners, and dropping letters and packages onto their laps.

So far, Lily had brought me a few letters from Mum, Dad and Ginny. Other times she flew in to nibble my ear and have a bit of Ron's toast (he doesn't like that one bit) before going off with Hedwig (Harry's owl) to sleep in the Owlery with the other school owls. This morning, she and Hedwig fluttered down between the marmalade and the sugar bowl and dropped a note onto Harry's plate and mine. I tore mine open at once. It said, in a very untidy scrawl:

 **Dear Sky,**

 **I know you get Friday afternoons off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three?**

 **I want to hear all about your first week. I sent a letter to Harry as well so send us an answer back with Hedwig.**

 **Hagrid**

 **P.S. Feel free to bring your brother, Ron, I'd love to meet him.**

Harry borrowed Ron's quill, scribbled, 'Yes please, see you later' on the back of his note, and sent Hedwig off again.

I think it was lucky that Harry had tea with Hagrid to look forward to, because the Potions lesson turned out to be the worst thing that had happened to him so far.

At the start-of-term banquet, Harry and I had gotten the idea that Professor Snape disliked him. By the end of the first Potions lesson, we knew we'd been wrong. Snape didn't dislike Harry - he hated him.

Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder here than up in the main castle, and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls.

Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the roll call, and like Flitwick, he paused at Harry's name.

"Ah, Yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new - celebrity."

Draco and his friends Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands. Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class. His eyes were black like Hagrid's, but they had none of Hagrid's warmth. They were cold and empty and made you think of dark tunnels. But for some reason, they looked familiar to me.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potionmaking," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but we caught every word - like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death - if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

More silence followed this little speech. Harry, Ron and I exchanged looks with raised eyebrows. Hermione was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead.

 _Mental note: Make friends with Hermione. She is one of my dorm mates and I have never spoken to her._

Now that I think about it I haven't spoken to any of my dorm mates.

 _Note to self: Make friends with all my dorm mates. ASAP._

"Potter!" said Snape suddenly, bringing me out of my thoughts. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

 _Draught of Living Death. - wait, how do I know that!?_

Harry glanced at Ron, who looked as stumped as he was; Hermione's hand had shot into the air.

Harry glanced at me but there was no way I could help him since Snape was staring intently at him.

"I don't know, sir," said Harry.

Snape's lips curled into a sneer.

"Tut, tut - fame clearly isn't everything."

He ignored Hermione's hand.

"Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

 _Stomach of a goat. Seriously, when did I learn this!?_

Hermione stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without her leaving her seat, whilst Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle were shaking with laughter.

"I don't know, sir."

"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?"

Snape was still ignoring Hermione's quivering hand.

"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

At this, Hermione stood up, her hand stretching toward the dungeon ceiling.

 _They're the same plant also known as aconite. C'mon, why can't I send a mind message to Harry. Is it even called a mind message. Ugh! Harry if you can hear me THEY ARE THE SAME PLANT ALSO KNOWN AS ACONITE!_

Harry's eyes widened and I smiled at him. "They are the same plant, also known as aconite." He said quietly.

 _MERLIN'S BEARD! IT WORKED!_

I started doing a mental happy dance until Snape's shocked look turn into a cold sneer.

"That is correct." He drawled. "However, if I had wanted Miss. Weasley to answer the question I would've asked her myself."

"Well it was pretty clear that I didn't know the answer." Harry answered back. "I think Hermione did, though, I don't understand, why you didn't try her?"

A few people laughed and Seamus winked at Harry. Snape, however, was not pleased.

"Sit down," he snapped at Hermione. "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, as Miss Weasley informed us, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?"

There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. Over the noise, Snape said, "A point will be taken from Gryffindor House for not bothering to open a textbook before coming to my lesson, Potter, and you have a detention with me, 7pm tonight for your cheek. I expect to see you too, Miss. Weasley. "

"What did I do!?" I exclaimed.

"You gave Potter the answer."

"That's not fair!"

"That's another point from Gryffindor. One more word and I'll make it fifty."

 _Greasy git._

Things didn't improve for Gryffindors as the Potions lesson continued. Snape put us all into pairs and set us to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. There was an odd number so I ended up working alone. He swept around in his long black cloak, watching us weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticizing almost everyone except Draco, whom he seemed to like. He was just telling everyone to look at the perfect way Draco had stewed his horned slugs when clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeon. Neville had somehow managed to melt Seamus's cauldron into a twisted blob, and their potion was seeping across the stone floor, burning holes in people's shoes. Within seconds, the whole class was standing on their stools while Neville, who had been drenched in the potion when the cauldron collapsed, moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his arms and legs.

"Idiot boy!" snarled Snape, clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"

Neville whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose.

"Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape spat at Seamus. Then he rounded on Harry and Ron, who had been working next to Neville.

"You - Potter - why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor."

Harry opened his mouth to argue, but Ron kicked him behind their cauldron.

"That's unfair!" I protested. "There was no possible way that Harry could known that was going to happen!"

Professor Snape turning to face me, his face contorted in anger.

"Fifteen points from Gryffindor and detention tomorrow night as well for questioning a teacher and involving yourself in matters that do not concern you." He hissed and this time I didn't argue.

As we climbed the steps out of the dungeon an hour later, Harry's spirits were low.

"Cheer up," said Ron, "Snape's always taking points off Fred and George."

"Yeah, at least you only lost two points, I lost sixteen. But at least we have detention together. You'd think he'd cut me some slack; my potion was perfect after all."

OoOoO

At five to three we left the castle and made our way across the grounds. Hagrid lived in a small wooden house on the edge of the forbidden forest. A crossbow and a pair of galoshes were outside the front door.

When Harry knocked we heard a frantic scrabbling from inside and several booming barks.

Then Hagrid's voice rang out, saying, "Back, Fang - back."

Hagrid's big, hairy face appeared in the crack as he pulled the door open.

"Hang on," he said. "Back, Fang."

He let us in, struggling to keep a hold on the collar of an enormous black boarhound.

There was only one room inside. Hams and pheasants were hanging from the ceiling, a copper kettle was boiling on the open fire, and in the corner stood a massive bed with a patchwork quilt over it.

"Make yerselves at home," said Hagrid, letting go of Fang, who bounded straight at Ron and started licking his ears. Like Hagrid, Fang was clearly not as fierce as he looked.

"This is my twin, Ron," I told Hagrid, who was pouring boiling water into a large teapot and putting rock cakes onto a plate.

"Another Weasley, eh?" said Hagrid, glancing at Ron and I. "I spent half me life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the forest."

The rock cakes were shapeless lumps with raisins that almost broke our teeth, but we pretended to be enjoying them as we told Hagrid all about our first lessons. Fang rested his head on Harry's knee and drooled all over his robes.

Harry, Ron and I were delighted to hear Hagrid call Fitch "that old git."

"An' as fer that cat, Mrs. Norris, I'd like ter introduce her to Fang sometime. D'yeh know, every time I go up ter the school, she follows me everywhere? Can't get rid of her - Fitch puts her up to it."

Harry told Hagrid about Snape's lesson. Hagrid, like Ron and I, told Harry not to worry about it, that Snape liked hardly any of the students.

"But he seemed to really hate me. And now Sky too."

"Rubbish!" said Hagrid. "Why should he?"

I couldn't help but notice that Hagrid didn't quite meet Harry eyes when he said that.

"How's yer brother Charlie?" Hagrid asked me. "I liked him a lot - great with animals."

I wondered if Hagrid had changed the subject on purpose. While Ron and I told Hagrid all about Charlie's work with dragons, I saw Harry pick up a piece of paper that was lying on the table under the tea cosy. I left Ron to talk and read it over Harry's shoulder. It was a cutting from the Daily Prophet:

 **GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN LATEST**

 **Investigations continue into the break-in at Gringotts on 31 July, widely believed to be the work of Dark wizards or witches unknown.**

 **Gringotts goblins today insisted that nothing had been taken. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied the same day.**

 _ **"But we're not telling you what was in there, so keep your noses out if you know what's good for you," said a Gringotts spokesgoblin this afternoon.**_

"Hagrid!" said Harry, "that Gringotts break-in happened on my birthday! It might've been happening while we were there!"

There was no doubt about it, Hagrid definitely didn't meet Harry's eyes this time. He grunted and offered him another rock cake. Harry read the story again. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied earlier that same day. Harry quietly told me that Hagrid had emptied vault seven hundred and thirteen, if you could call it emptying, by taking out a grubby little package, the same day of the break in. Had that been what the thieves were looking for?

As the boys and I walked back to the castle for dinner, our pockets weighed down with rock cakes we'd been too polite to refuse, and I could clearly see that none of the lessons we'd had so far had given Harry as much to think about as tea with Hagrid. I had to admit, I was curious too.

 _Had Hagrid collected that package just in time?_

 _Where was it now?_

 _And did Hagrid know something about Snape that he didn't want to tell Harry?_


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER 13**

First-year Gryffindors only had Potions with the Slytherins, so we didn't have to put up with certain people much. Or at least, we didn't until we spotted a notice pinned up in the Gryffindor common room that made us all groan. Flying lessons would be starting on Thursday - and Gryffindor and Slytherin would be learning together.

"Typical," said Harry darkly. "Just what I always wanted. To make a fool of myself on a broomstick in front of Malfoy."

He had been looking forward to learning to fly more than anything else.

"You don't know that you'll make a fool of yourself," said Ron reasonably. "Anyway, I know Malfoy's always going on about how good he is at Quidditch, but I bet that's all talk."

Draco certainly did talk about flying a lot. He complained loudly about first years never getting on the house Quidditch teams and told long, boastful stories that always seemed to end with him narrowly escaping Muggles in helicopters.

He wasn't the only one, though: the way Seamus Finnigan told it, he'd spent most of his childhood zooming around the countryside on his broomstick.

Even Ron would tell anyone who'd listen about the time he'd almost hit a hang glider on Charlie's old broom. It was all a dream, by the way, we were three and he wanted to be a "big boy". But when he got about a foot in the air he fell off and hit his head. We can gladly say that he's improved drastically since then.

Everyone from wizarding families, except me, talked about Quidditch constantly. Ron had already had a big argument with Dean Thomas, who shared a dormitory with Harry, Ron, Neville, Dean and me in a way (every night I creep into Ron's bed and it's not really a secret anymore), about football. Ron couldn't see what was exciting about a game with only one ball where no one was allowed to fly. Harry even said he had caught Ron prodding Dean's poster of West Ham football team, trying to make the players move.

Neville said he had never been on a broomstick in his life, because his grandmother had never let him near one. Privately, we felt she'd had good reason, because Neville managed to have an extraordinary number of accidents even with both feet on the ground.

Hermione was almost as nervous about flying as Neville was. This was something you couldn't learn by heart out of a book. I saw her rushing to the library, muttering something about finding a book to teach her how to fly.

7pm soon came and Harry and I said goodbye to Ron, who wished us good luck, and set of for the dungeons.

Time to see what the Grease Master has in store for us.


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER 14**

"You're late." Snape drawled as we arrived at his classroom, fifteen minutes late.

"Well," I retorted, "If you hadn't given us detention, there would have been no possible way for us to be fifteen minutes late for a detention that was totally unnecessary."

"Don't make me give you another detention, Weasley."

"That means I get to spend more time with you, Sevy!"

"So, what do you want us to do, Professor?" Harry interrupted seeing as Snape looked as if he would explode.

"Neither of you are leaving until this classroom is spotless. No magic allowed so hand me your wands."

Harry obliged without a fuss but the same could not be said for me.

"Your wand, Miss Weasley."

"I'd feel much better if I kept it on me, thanks."

"If I cared how you felt I would have asked. Now hand me your -" 

I grabbed a brush and started scrubbing the nearest desk.

"Let's get to work, Harry. Lots of hard work."

About half an hour into our detention, Snape got fed up of me annoying him and let us go.

Just before we left, me, being the best guest yelled, "Thanks for having us Sev! Same time tomorrow?"

In response, Sev slammed the door in my face.

 _Somebody needs to work on his hosting skills._

When we got back to the Common Room it was almost empty. Hermione sat in one corner, reading Quidditch Through the Ages, while Fred and George sat in the middle of the room playing Wizard's Chess against Ron who, despite being outnumbered, was winning.

"- checkmate. Harry, Sky, you're back early. I see you survived Snape's detention. "

"Yeah," Harry said. "Sky kept annoying him until and he got really fed up and let us go. It was very funny."

The twins looked at me in awe.

"Never-"

"In all our years at Hogwarts-"

"Have we ever-"

"Not even once-"

"Managed to annoy-"

"Snape so much that-"

"He let us end-"

"Our detention early!"

"What can I say," I winked at them. "I'm talented."

Ron stifled a yawn. "I'm exhausted."

"Me too. Night Sky. Night Fred and George."

"Night Harry." We chorused.

"Coming Ron?"

"Yeah, night guys."

"Night Ron."

"Night Sky."

"Night Freddie, night Georgie."

Now it was just Hermione and I left.

 _It would be the perfect time to try and make friends with her._

I glanced at Hermione. She was frantically flicking through her book mumbling nonsense under her breath.

 _Maybe later._

So, with nothing else to do I got out my notebook and a quill and began a list.

 **WAYS TO ANNOY SEVERUS SNAPE**

 **1\. Smile at him whenever I see him.**

 **2\. Call him "Sev", "Severus", "Sevy", "Snapey" etc. Basically anything that isn't "Professor", Professor Snape" or "Sir".**

 **3\. Walk into the lesson, twenty minutes late and say " so, Sir, what are we doing today?"**

 **4\. After dinner, sit down on the ground along the way he usually takes to his room for the night.**

 **5\. If he stops near or close to me, look up then quickly look down again, avoiding his gaze.**

 **6\. Grin like an idiot the whole class.**

 **7\. Ask him if he knows how to dance.**

 **8\. If he says no, say I'll teach him to dance. If he says yes, ask him to dance with me.**

 **9\. Jump on the table during class. Begin dancing the macarena and urge everyone to join me.**

 **10\. Ask him if he's okay in a concerned way.**

 **11\. No matter what he does or says, jump and give him a hug, pretending to cry.**

 **12\. When he asks a question look up at him and ask if that's code for something.**

 **13\. When I get detention with him, the next day walk into class and ask if "I get to have another date I mean detention".**

 **14\. Prophesise that Snape will die by snakebite. Then give him Honey Badger Anti-venom telling him to start taking it so he won't die.**

 **15\. If he refuses, take the bottle and pour as much of it down his throat as possible, then tell him to do that everyday.**

 **16\. During Christmas time, sit on his lap and tell him what I want for Christmas.**

 **17\. Afterwards, go to Dumbledore and tell him that Snape is being mean and begin to fake cry.**

 **15\. Walk into class and put a hand on his forehead. Tell him he has an awful fever. When he tells me to sit down, shrug and say "Okay, it's your health though. I wouldn't be surprised if that snake chooses you."**

 **16\. Walk into class crying and don't stop until class is dismissed.**

 **17\. Ask him if he's ever heard the song that never ends.**

 **18\. Sing the song that never ends.**

 **19\. When he tells me to stop tell him that the only way to stop the evil magic is to join in for ten rounds.**

 **20\. Mention that it only works if it's in front of the whole school.**

 **21\. Ask him if he will protect me from … because I'm scared.**

 **22\. Jump and give him a hug either saying thank you or please.**

 **23\. During class just get up, stand in front of Snape and begin teaching random things.**

 **24\. For Halloween, dress up as Snape.**

 **25\. At the end of the year, say "sorry for everything I've done this year" then ask if he wants an apology hug.**

 _I think I'll add to this list whenever I'm bored._

I saw Hermione close her book.

 _Now's my chance to talk to her._

I walked up to her.

"Hi. My name is Sky."

"Lovely to meet you. My name is Hermione."

"Can I call you 'Mione?"

"Sure. I've never had a nickname before."

'Mione and I talked way into the night and became really good friends before going up to our dorm, putting on our pyjamas and collapsing into bed.

"Good night 'Mione." I whispered.

"Good night Sky." Mione whispered back before I drifted into a peaceful slumber.

And for the first time ever since I came to Hogwarts, I slept in my own bed.


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER 15**

At breakfast the next morning Hermione babbled on and on telling anyone who'd listen some of the flying tips she'd gotten out of Quidditch Through the Ages. Neville was hanging on to her every word, desperate for anything that might help him hang on to his broomstick later, but everybody else seemed very pleased when Hermione's lecture was interrupted by the arrival of the mail.

A barn owl brought Neville a small package from his grandmother. He opened it excitedly and showed us a glass ball the size of a large marble, which seemed to be full of white smoke.

"It's a Remembrall!" he explained. "Gran knows I forget things - this tells you if there's something you've forgotten to do. Look, you hold it tight like this and if it turns red - oh..." His face fell, because the Remembrall had suddenly glowed scarlet, "You've forgotten something..."

Neville was trying to remember what he'd forgotten when Draco, who was passing the Gryffindor table, snatched the Remembrall out of his hand.

Harry and Ron jumped to their feet, but Professor McGonagall, who could spot trouble quicker than any teacher in the school, was there in a flash.

"What's going on?"

"Malfoy's got my Remembrall, Professor."

Scowling, Draco quickly dropped the Remembrall back on the table.

"Just looking," he said, and he sloped away with Crabbe and Goyle behind him.

At three-thirty that afternoon, all the first year Gryffindors hurried down the front steps onto the grounds for our first flying lesson. It was a clear, breezy day, and the grass rippled under our feet as we marched down the sloping lawns toward a smooth, flat lawn on the opposite side of the grounds to the forbidden forest, whose trees were swaying darkly in the distance.

The Slytherins were already there, and so were twenty broomsticks lying in neat lines on the ground. Fred and George had often complained about the school brooms, saying that some of them started to vibrate if you flew too high, or always flew slightly to the left.

Our teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived. She had short, grey hair, and yellow eyes like a hawk.

"Well, what are you all waiting for?" she barked. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up."

I stood in front of a broom with Harry and 'Mione, Ron on Harry's other side. I glanced down at my broom. It was old and some of the twigs stuck out at odd angles.

"Stick out your right hand over your broom," called Madam Hooch at the front, "and say 'Up!"'

"UP!" everyone shouted.

To my surprise, my broom jumped into my hand at once. The boys never let Ginny and I fly at home, claiming that they 'didn't want their baby sisters to get hurt' so I was very excited about this lesson.

I looked around and found that my broom, as well as Harry's, was one of the few that did. 'Mione's had simply rolled over on the ground, and Neville's hadn't moved at all. Perhaps brooms, like horses, could tell when you were afraid; there was a quaver in Neville's voice that said only too clearly that he wanted to keep his feet on the ground.

Madam Hooch then showed us how to mount our brooms without sliding off the end, and walked up and down the rows correcting their grips. Harry and Ron were delighted when she told Draco he'd been doing it wrong for years.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," said Madam Hooch. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle - three - two -"

But Neville, nervous, jumpy and frightened of being left on the ground, pushed off hard before the whistle had touched Madam Hooch's lips.

"Come back, boy!" she shouted, but Neville was rising straight up like a cork shot out of a bottle - twelve feet - twenty feet. I saw his scared white face look down at the ground falling away, saw him gasp, slip sideways off the broom and -

WHAM - a thud and a nasty crack and Neville lay face down on the grass in a heap. His broomstick was still rising higher and higher, and started to drift lazily toward the forbidden forest and out of sight.

Madam Hooch was bending over Neville, her face as white as his.

"Broken wrist," we heard her mutter. "Come on, boy - it's all right, up you get."

She turned to the rest of the class.

"None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch.' Come on, dear."

Neville, his face tear-streaked, clutching his wrist, hobbled off with Madam Hooch, who had her arm around him.

No sooner were they out of earshot than Draco burst into laughter.

Why does he have to be so mean?

"Did you see his face, the great lump?"

The other Slytherins joined in.

"Shut up, Malfoy," snapped Parvati Patil.

"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" said Pansy Parkinson, a hard-faced Slytherin girl. "Never thought you liked fat little cry-babies, Parvati."

"Look!" said Draco, darting forward and snatching something out of the grass. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him."

The Remembrall glittered in the sun as he held it up.

I felt a sudden burst of anger towards Draco and tried really hard to push it down before I did something that I would later regret.

"Give that here, Malfoy," said Harry quietly. Everyone stopped talking to watch.

Malfoy smiled nastily.

"I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find - how about - up a tree?"

That was it. I gave up trying to keep my temper.

"What did Neville ever do to you?" I screamed at the same time Harry yelled,

"Give it here!"

But Draco had leapt onto his broomstick and taken off. He hadn't been lying, he could fly well. Hovering level with the topmost branches of an oak he called, "Come and get it, Potter!"

I filled with even more rage at the fact that he just completely ignored me.

Harry grabbed his broom.

"No!" shouted Hermione. "Madam Hooch told us not to move - you'll get us all into trouble."

Harry ignored her. He mounted the broom and kicked hard against the ground and up, up he soared; air rushed through his hair, and his robes whipped out behind him.

Without any hesitation, I mounted my own broom.

"Sorry 'Mione," I said before kicking off the ground and joining Harry in the air -and in a rush of fierce joy I realised I'd found something I could do without being taught by one of my brothers - this was easy, this was wonderful.

Harry pulled his broomstick up a little to take it even higher, and screams and gasps of girls back on the ground were heard along with an admiring whoop from Ron. As I joined him I was aware if Hermione's constant "They're going to be expelled"s and Ron's "When did she even learn how to fly?"

I turned my broomstick sharply to face Draco in midair. He looked stunned.

"Give it here," Harry called,

"Or we'll knock you off that broom!" I added.

"Oh, yeah?" said Draco, trying to sneer, but looking worried.

Harry leaned forward and grasped the broom tightly in both hands, and it shot toward Draco like a javelin. Draco only just got out of the way in time; Harry made a sharp turn and held the broom steady. Impressive. A few people below were clapping.

"No Crabbe and Goyle up here to save your neck, Malfoy," Harry called.

The same thought seemed to have struck Draco.

"Catch it if you can, then!" he shouted, and he threw the glass ball high into the air and streaked back toward the ground.

Harry leaned forward and pointed his broom handle down - next second he was gathering speed in a steep dive, racing the ball.

Meanwhile, I shot after Draco, and after catching him, began dragging him by the hair, back towards the ground. We were about three feet from the ground when Harry, a foot from the ground, caught the Remembrall and threw it to me, just in time to pull his broom straight and gently topple onto the grass.

I was about to start cheering when I remembered that there was a glass orb hurtling towards me. Without thinking, I wrapped my legs around my broom, took my other hand of it and caught it. I then flew back to the ground, one hand clutching the Remembrall, the other still pulling Draco's hair.

"See 'Mione. You were worried for –"

"HARRY POTTER! SKY WEASLEY!"

I guess I spoke too soon. Professor McGonagall was running toward us.

"Never - in all my time at Hogwarts -"

Professor McGonagall was almost speechless with shock, and her glasses flashed furiously, "- how dare you - might have broken your necks -"

"It wasn't their fault, Professor -"

"Be quiet, Miss Patil,"

"But Malfoy -"

"That's enough, Mr. Weasley. Potter, Miss. Weasley, follow me, now."

I caught sight of Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle's triumphant faces as we left, walking numbly in Professor McGonagall's wake as she strode toward the castle. We were going to be expelled, I just knew it. I wanted to say something to defend Harry, I know how much he hates his relatives and Hogwarts is his home, but there seemed to be something wrong with my voice. Professor McGonagall was sweeping along without even looking at us; we had to jog to keep up. I mentally sighed. I'd always dreamed of going to Hogwarts and when I finally got to go, I hadn't even lasted two weeks. I'd be packing my bags in ten minutes. What would Mum and Dad say when I turned up on the doorstep?

Despite all my worrying, I still managed to say, though only loud enough for Harry to hear,

"Quidditch."


	16. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER 16**

Up the front steps, up the marble staircase, inside, and still Professor McGonagall didn't say a word to us. She wrenched open doors and marched along corridors with Harry and I trotting miserably behind her. Maybe she was taking us to Dumbledore. I thought of Hagrid, expelled but allowed to stay on as gamekeeper. Perhaps we could be Hagrid's assistants. My stomach twisted as I imagined it, watching Ron and the others becoming witches and wizards, while we stumped around the grounds carrying Hagrid's bag.

Professor McGonagall stopped outside a classroom. She opened the door and poked her head inside.

"Excuse me, Professor Flitwick, could I borrow Wood for a moment?"

Wood?

Wood turned out to be a person, a burly fifth-year boy who came out of Flitwick's class looking confused.

"Follow me, you three," said Professor McGonagall, and we marched on up the corridor, Wood looking curiously at Harry and I.

"In here." Professor McGonagall pointed us into a classroom that was empty except for Peeves, who was busy writing rude words on the blackboard.

"Out, Peeves!" she barked. Peeves threw the chalk into a bin, which clanged loudly, and he swooped out cursing.

Go Minnie!

Professor McGonagall slammed the door behind him and turned to face the three of us. "Potter, Weasley, this is Oliver Wood. Wood - I've found you a Seeker and Chaser."

Wood's expression changed from puzzlement to delight. "Are you serious, Professor?"

"Absolutely," said Professor McGonagall crisply. "The boy's a natural. I've never seen anything like it. Was that your first time on a broomstick, Potter?"

Harry nodded silently.

"He caught that thing in his hand after a fifty-foot dive," Professor McGonagall told Wood. "

"Didn't even scratch himself. Charlie Weasley couldn't have done it. And then Miss. Weasley," she continued. "She was dragging Malfoy back to the ground by the hair then she caught it after Potter threw it at her and flew to the ground with no hands on her broom. She didn't even wobble." She turned to me. "Did one of your brother's teach you how to do that?"

I shook my head. "They never let me on a broom." I said quietly.

Wood was now looking as though all his dreams had come true at once. "Ever seen a game of Quidditch?" he asked us excitedly.

"Wood's captain of the Gryffindor team," Professor McGonagall explained.

"He's just the build for a Seeker, too," said Wood, now walking around Harry and staring at him. "Light - speedy - we'll have to get him a decent broom, Professor - a Nimbus Two Thousand or a Cleansweep Seven, I'd say. One for her too."

"I shall speak to Professor Dumbledore and see if we can't bend the first-year rule. Heaven knows, we need a better team than last year. Flattened in that last match by Slytherin, I couldn't look Severus Snape in the face for weeks..."

Professor McGonagall peered sternly over her glasses at Harry and I. "I want to hear you're training hard, or I may change my mind about punishing you."

Then she suddenly smiled. "Your father would have been proud, Potter," she said. "He was an excellent Quidditch player himself."

 **OoOoO**

"You're joking!"

It was dinnertime. Harry and I had just finished telling Ron what had happened when we'd left the grounds with Professor McGonagall. Ron had a piece of steak and kidney pie halfway to his mouth, but he'd forgotten all about it.

"Seeker? Chaser?" he said. "But first years never - you must be the youngest house players in about—"

"— a century," said Harry, shovelling pie into his mouth "Wood told us."

Ron was so amazed, so impressed; he just sat and gaped at Harry. Then he turned to me. "But-how?-Who?-When did you learn how to fly?"

"I don't know."

"Wow. So when do you start training?"

"Next week," said I. "Only don't tell anyone, Oliver wants to keep it a secret."

Fred and George now came into the hall and hurried over.

"Well done," said George in a low voice. "Wood told us. We're on the team too - Beaters."

"I tell you, we're going to win that Quidditch cup for sure this year," said Fred. "We haven't won since Charlie left, but this year's team is going to be brilliant. You must be good, Wood was almost skipping when he told us."

"When did you even learn to fly, Sky?"

I shrugged in response.

"She must have inherited my awesome skills," Fred joked, winking at me.

I laughed. "I'm sure that's it."

"Anyway, we've got to go; Lee Jordan reckons he's found a new secret passageway out of the school."

"Bet it's that one behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy that we found in our first week. See you."

Fred and George had hardly disappeared when someone far less welcome turned up: Draco flanked by Crabbe and Goyle.

"Having a last meal, Potter, Weaslette? When are you getting the train back to the Muggles and the Muggle lovers?"

"You're a lot braver now that you're back on the ground and you've got your little friends with you," said Harry coolly. There was of course nothing at all little about Crabbe and Goyle, but as the High Table was full of teachers, neither of them could do more than crack their knuckles and scowl.

"I'd take you on anytime on my own," said Draco. "Tonight, if you want. Wizard's duel. Wands only - no contact."

"Sorry can't do tonight, got a date - I mean detention tonight."

Harry, Ron and Draco all stared at me in shock for a moment.

"Okaaay then. Just Potter then. What's the matter? Never heard of a wizard's duel before, I suppose?"

"Of course he has," said Ron, wheeling around. "I'm his second, who's yours?"

Malfoy looked at Crabbe and Goyle, sizing them up.

"Crabbe," he said. "Midnight all right? We'll meet you in the trophy room; that's always unlocked."

When Malfoy had gone, Ron and Harry looked at each other. "What is a wizard's duel?" said Harry. "And what do you mean, you're my second?"

"Well, a second's there to take over if you die," said Ron casually, getting started at last on his cold pie. Way to be insensitive. Catching the look on Harry's face, he added quickly, "But people only die in proper duels, you know, with real wizards. The most you and Malfoy'll be able to do is send sparks at each other. Neither of you knows enough magic to do any real damage. I bet he expected you to refuse, anyway."

"And what if I wave my wand and nothing happens?"

"Throw it away and punch him on the nose," I suggested eagerly. 

"Excuse me."

We looked up. It was Hermione.

'Mione was ignoring me because of the fiasco in flying class and no matter how many times I told her I was sorry, she wouldn't listen. And I thought _I_ was stubborn.

"Can't a person eat in peace in this place?" said Ron. I smacked the back of his head.

Hermione ignored him and spoke to Harry.

"I couldn't help overhearing what you and Malfoy were saying –"

"Bet you could," Ron muttered. "Oww!"

"-and you mustn't go wandering around the school at night, think of the points you'll lose Gryffindor if you're caught, and you're bound to be. It's really very selfish of you."

"And it's really none of your business," said Harry.

"Good-bye," said Ron.

"Wait! 'Mione, I'm sorry!"

She just walked away.

When 7pm came along, and I had to go to my detention, Harry and Ron had to practically push me out of the portrait hole.

"But I really want to come with you guys!"

"Sky relax, it's not untill midnight remember? You'll probably be back by then."

"Oh, yeah. But if I'm not you have to tell me everything."

"Okay now go!"

Snape loomed up as I entered his room. I was quite late but he didn't say anything.

"Today you will be organising my storeroom. I want you to arrange everything so that it goes from least harmful to most harmful. You may begin."

One boring hour later I felt a burning sensation against my leg.

I pulled my wand out of my boot; the lily was glowing brightly.

"Err- Professor?"

"Have you finished?"

"No, but—"

"Then get back to work."

My wand suddenly started burning me and I tried to scream but all I managed to let out was a strangled cry.

Suddenly everything went white, I was aware of my lips moving but I couldn't make out what I was saying. Eventually they stopped, and everything went black.

 **OoSSoO**

"Err - Professor?"

Honestly this child is a nightmare yet I just can't seem to hate her. There's just something about her.

"Have you finished?"

"No, but—"

"Then get back to work."

I went back to grading papers until I heard Sky let out a strangled cry.

I rushed into the storeroom just in time to see the girl's eyes change from hazel to green. Potter's eyes. Lily's eyes.

"I forgive you Sev." She said in a voice that sounded familiar. Really familiar.

"L-lily?" My voice broke.

"Yes Sev, it's me. Look after my babies for me."

I was baffled for a few seconds before realisation dawned on me.

"Always."

"Thank you, Sev. Hopefully we'll be able to talk again soon." She kissed me softly on the cheek. "Always."

And with that final word Sky's eyes became hazel once again and she collapsed into my arms.


	17. Chapter 17

**CHAPTER 17**

I was having a strange dream. It was dark, I think I was in the hospital wing

"Poppy, I'm telling you, she was Lily!"

"Severus, for the last time, that is not possible. And keep your voice down. You'll wake my patient."

"But-"

Patient? That sounds like Madam Pomfrey. Am I in the Hospital Wing?

I groaned in pain and tried to open my eyes.

I opened my eyes and the bright whiteness nearly blinded me.

"Sky?" Sev asked, sounding genuinely concerned. I was shocked. And to top that, he called me by my first name which he never does.

Just as I was about to ask what happened, everything went black once again.

 **oOo**

Malfoy couldn't believe his eyes when he saw that Harry and Ron were still at Hogwarts the next day, looking tired but perfectly cheerful.

You see, Malfoy had set the boys up when he had challenged them to the midnight duel. He had tipped of Filch that someone was going to be in the Trophy Room and so Harry and Ron, along with Hermione (who had tried to stop them and gotten stuck outside when the Fat Lady went for a stroll) and Neville (who had forgotten the password and had been outside the portrait hole ever since he returned from the hospital wing) had to run to avoid him and Mrs. Norris. After an unfortunate encounter with Peeves, in order to hide, the four of them forced their way into the forbidden room on the third floor, where they came face to face with a giant three-headed-dog. Back in the Common Room, Hermione informed the rest that the dog was standing on a trapdoor, causing Harry to wonder whether it was guarding the grubby little package that Hagrid had collected from Gringotts.

Indeed, by the next morning Harry and Ron thought that meeting the three-headed dog had been an excellent adventure, and they were quite keen to have another one. In the meantime, Harry filled Ron in about the package that seemed to have been moved from Gringotts to Hogwarts, and they spent a lot of time wondering what could possibly need such heavy protection.

"It's either really valuable or really dangerous," said Ron.

"Or both," said Harry.

But as all they knew for sure about the mysterious object was that it was about two inches long, they didn't have much chance of guessing what it was without further clues.

Neither Neville nor Hermione showed the slightest interest in what lay underneath the dog and the trapdoor. All Neville cared about was never going near the dog again.

Hermione was now refusing to speak to Harry and Ron, but she was, in their opinion, such a bossy know-it-all that they saw this as an added bonus. All they really wanted now was a way of getting back at Malfoy, and to their great delight, just such a thing arrived in the mail about a minute later.

As the owls flooded into the Great Hall as usual, everyone's attention was caught at once by two long, thin packages carried by two dozen large screech owls. Harry was just as interested as everyone else to see what was in these large parcels, and was amazed when the owls soared down and dropped one right in front of him, knocking his bacon to the floor, and the other in front of Ron. They had hardly fluttered out of the way when another owl dropped a letter on top of each parcel.

Harry ripped open his letter first, which was lucky, because it said:

 _DO NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TABLE._

 _It contains your new Nimbus Two Thousand, but I don't want everybody knowing you've got broomstick or they'll all want one. Oliver Wood will meet you on the Quidditch field at seven o'clock on Friday for your first training session._

 _Professor McGonagall_

Harry had difficulty hiding his glee as he handed the note to Ron to read.

"A Nimbus Two Thousand!" Ron moaned enviously. "I've never even touched one. I bet that's what's in this one too. It's for Sky. Speaking of Sky, have you seen her?" Ron was beginning to get worried. What if something had happened to her?

"Not since she left for her detention last night." Harry replied. He too was also getting worried. "You don't think Snape did something to her, do you?"

"Wouldn't put it passed him," Ron muttered darkly, "Though I'm sure she's fine," he added, more for his benefit than Harry's.

"She probably just overslept. We can ask Hermione if she's seen her."

They left the hall quickly, wanting to find Sky and unwrap the broomsticks in private before their first class, but halfway across the entrance hall they found the way upstairs barred by Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy seized the package from Harry and felt it.

"That's a broomstick," he said, throwing it back to Harry then doing the same with Sky's with a mixture of jealousy and spite on his face. "You'll be in for it this time, Potter, Weasley, first years aren't allowed them."

Ron couldn't resist it.

"They're not any old broomsticks," he said, "they're Nimbus Two Thousands. What did you say you've got at home, Malfoy, a Comet Two Sixty?" Ron grinned at Harry. "Comets look flashy, but they're not in the same league as the Nimbus."

"What would you know about it, Weasley, you couldn't afford half the handle," Malfoy snapped back. "I suppose you and your brothers had to save up twig by twig till Potter took pity on you."

Before Ron could answer, Professor Flitwick appeared at Malfoy's elbow.

"Not arguing, I hope, boys?" he squeaked.

"Potter and Weasley have been sent broomsticks, Professor," said Malfoy quickly.

"Yes, yes, that's right," said Professor Flitwick, beaming at Harry. "Professor McGonagall told me all about the special circumstances, Potter. I suppose the one Weasley is holding is for his sister?"

Ron nodded.

"And what model are they?"

"Nimbus Two Thousands, sir," said Harry, fighting not to laugh at the look of horror on Malfoy's face. "And it's really thanks to Malfoy here that we've got them," he added.

Harry and Ron headed upstairs, smothering their laughter at Malfoy's obvious rage and confusion.

"Well, it's true," Harry chortled as they reached the top of the marble staircase, "If he hadn't stolen Neville's Remembrall we wouldn't be on the team-"

"So I suppose you think that's a reward for breaking rules?" An angry voice came from just behind them. Hermione was stomping up the stairs, looking disapprovingly at the package in Harry's hand.

"I thought you weren't speaking to us?" said Harry.

"Yes, don't stop now," said Ron, "it's doing us so much good."

Hermione marched away with her nose in the air.

"Hermione wait!" Harry yelled after her.

"What?" She snapped.

"Have you seen Sky?"

"And why should I help you?"

"Because we haven't seen her since yesterday and we're beginning to get worried. And isn't she your friend?"

"She didn't come back to bed last night. Have you tried the Hospital Wing? And for your information I am not on speaking terms with Sky."

"Thanks Hermione we'll try there next. And I think you should forgive her, she said she's sorry. Even the best of us make mistakes, it's part of being human."

"You're right. Good luck Harry." Hermione then did something that shocked both Harry and herself. Despite her anger towards the boys she actually smiled at Harry before leaving for her next class.

Ron had completely missed their exchange.

"Good riddance." He said once Hermione was gone. "What were you two talking about anyway?"

"I asked her if she knew where Sky is." Harry explained. "She said that she didn't come back to bed last night and advised us to check the Hospital Wing."

So after a quick trip to their dorm to put the brooms away, the two boys made their way to the Hospital Wing in search of their twin sister/best friend.


	18. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER 18**

After getting lost a few times, Ron and Harry finally made it to the hospital wing.

"Where's my sister?" Ron demanded as soon as they entered and Harry finally realised why Sky tends to smack him a lot.

"Sorry Madam Pomfrey." He apologised for his friend. "I think what Ron meant to ask was 'is Sky is here?'"

"It's alright dear." Madam Pomfrey said. "And yes, she is here. Professor Snape brought her last night."

She led the boys to the last bed where they were shocked to find a slightly dishevelled looking Severus Snape, asleep in the chair beside it.

On the bed itself lay Sky, her hair spread on the pillow like a flaming halo.

Before the boys could say anything, the matron began speaking.

"Can you wake your Professor please?" She asked, putting a hand on Sky's forehead. "Tell him that he has a class now. Speaking of classes, aren't you meant to be in one now?"

There was a moment of silence.

"Err- yeah we are." Harry said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "It's just that we were really worried about Sky because we couldn't find her at breakfast so we thought she was still asleep but when we asked Hermione if she was still in the dorm she told us that Sky didn't come back to the dorm after her detention with Professor Snape and-"

"Calm down Mr. Potter." Madam Pomfrey cut him off, pushing him down into the nearest chair. His breathing had increased rapidly during the time he was talking and the matron looked like she was going to force him to take a Calming Draught.

Harry saw this and took a couple of deep breaths.

"I'm fine." He said but Madam Pomfrey didn't seem convinced.

"You seem more worried about Sky than I do." Ron said to Harry. "And I'm her brother. Is there anything you want to tell me mate?"

Harry laughed. He knew Ron was kidding but he couldn't help but think about what he had said. Was it - could it be possible – no, of course not. She's his best friend and they're first years. They hadn't even known each other that long. Not to mention that Ron would probably kill him. So would Fred and George. And Percy. And her other brothers, Bill and Charlie. So no. He _could no_ t like Sky. Right?

"Boys who do you have now? I'll write you a note."

"Professor Snape."

"Okay then you can walk down with him. Please wake him."

The matron walked into her office just as Ron looked at his Professor.

"Oi Professor! Wake up!" He yelled and Harry face palmed.

"Shut up Ronald." Sky mumbled and the boys turned to her, only to find she was still unconscious.

Harry hesitantly placed his hand on Snape's shoulder and shook it gently.

"Professor? Professor wake up, you have a class now."

Snape woke with a start, causing Harry to jump back in surprise. Just as he was about to apologise he caught sight of his professor's eyes. They were not filled with anger or hatred and some of their iciness seemed to have thawed.

Madam Pomfrey walked back into the wing holding three vials. She gave one to Snape who downed it in one go, shuddering slightly.

"Have you got the results yet?"

"Not yet Severus. But you need to leave now. Please take Messrs. Potter and Weasley with you."

"I'll be back later Poppy." Snape then turned to Harry and Ron. "Potter. Weasley." He saw the worry on Ron's face and noticed that Harry looked quite unsteady. All of a sudden he remembered his promise to Lily. _Look after my babies for me._ "You are excused from today's class."

The boys were not at all expecting this and stared at their professor. Was that _amusement_ Harry had seen flicker in Snape's eyes as he took in their (Ron's in particular, it _was_ rather funny) stunned expressions. Surely not. He was unable to confirm his suspicions though, for as quickly as it had come, it was gone.

Rememberingthe time, the Potions Master began gathering his belongings as Madam Pomfrey placed the second vial on the bedside table, probably for Sky when she woke up, and gave the third one to Harry.

"Drink up." She told him and he complied, as Ron sunk into a chair, his mouth still open.

The potion smelt faintly of strawberries but was tasteless.

 **(A/N** _italics=in Harry's_ _mind_ **)**

As soon as he swallowed, Harry felt blissful.

 _He was walking through a meadow full of flowers, each holding a good memory. He walked through the meadow, remembering all the happy times (most, if not all, in the wizarding world), when he came across the most beautiful flowers he had ever seen, but they were kept apart from the rest. Harry had begun to approach them when a gate appeared in front of him._

He suddenly felt a wave of dizziness overcome him and grabbed the back of Ron's chair to steady himself.

 _He kept advancing, the closer and closer to the gate until he finally made it._

His knees gave way and he fell to the floor.

 _He put his hand on the gate._

Harry felt an excruciating pain in his head and screamed in agony, faintly aware of Ron calling his name, before everything went black.


End file.
